The signature of laminar instabilities in the zone of transition to turbulence

We demonstrate that the space-time statistics of the birth of turbulent spots in boundary layers can be reconstructed qualitatively from the average behavior of macroscopic measures in the transition zone. The conclusion in \cite{vg04} that there exists a connection between the patterns in laminar instability and the birth of turbulent spots is strengthened. We examine why the relationship between instability and transition to turbulence is manifest in some cases and appears to be totally absent in others. Novel cellular automaton type simulations of the transition zone are conducted, and the pattern of spot birth is obtained from secondary instability analysis. The validity of the hypothesis of concentrated breakdown, according to which most turbulent spots originate at a particular streamwise location, is assessed. The predictions made lend themselves to straightforward experimental verification.Comment: 12 pages, 25 figures, submitted to PR

Retardation of the onset of yurbulence by minor viscosity contrasts

Motivated by the large effect of turbulent drag reduction by minute concentrations of polymers we study the effects of minor viscosity contrasts on the stability of hydrodynamic flows. The key player is a localized region where the energy of fluctuations is produced by interactions with the mean flow (the "critical layer"). We show that a layer of weakly space-dependent viscosity placed near the critical layer can have very large stabilizing effect on hydrodynamic fluctuations, retarding significantly the onset of turbulence. The effect is not due to a modified dissipation (as is assumed in theories of drag reduction), but due to reduced energy intake from the mean flow to the fluctuations. We propose that similar physics act in turbulent drag reduction.Comment: 4 Pages, 5 Figures (included), PRL submitte

Algebraic disturbances and their consequences in rotating channel flow transition

It is now established that subcritical mechanisms play a crucial role in the transition to turbulence of non-rotating plane shear flows. The role of these mechanisms in rotating channel flow is examined here in the linear and nonlinear stages. Distinct patterns of behaviour are found: the transient growth leading to nonlinearity at low rotation rates $Ro$, a highly chaotic intermediate $Ro$ regime, a localised weak chaos at higher $Ro$, and complete stabilization of transient disturbances at very high $Ro$. At very low $Ro$, the transient growth amplitudes are close to those for non-rotating flow, but Coriolis forces already assert themselves by producing distinct asymmetry about the channel centreline. Nonlinear processes are then triggered, in a streak-breakdown mode of transition. The high $Ro$ regimes do not show these signatures, here the leading eigenmode emerges as dominant in the early stages. Elongated structures plastered close to one wall are seen at higher rotation rates. Rotation is shown to reduce non-normality in the linear operator, in an indirect manifestation of Taylor--Proudman effects. Although the critical Reynolds for exponential growth of instabilities is known to vary a lot with rotation rate, we show that the energy critical Reynolds number is insensitive to rotation rate. It is hoped that these findings will motivate experimental verification, and examination of other rotating flows in this light